Reply
Sun 30 Dec, 2007 05:25 pm
I just watched the most fascinating, inspiring, and yet heartbreaking documentary: The Half Ton Man.
Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in the world today. Is there a fat gene? Science seems to think there is. Many people feel hungry every minute they are awake and fight the fact they know they are literally killing themselves with every bite they take.
One man in the documentary lost 706 pounds! Yet, when he reached 198 pounds he celebrated by having a hot dog, which turned into two, three, etc. He now is morbidly obese again and isn't ready to go back into rehab at a center that has great success in helping these people.
When I was younger I could eat virtually anything and not gain weight. I'm almost 52 and it's not quite that easy for me to keep my weight to what is comfortable for me. I am able to do it, but watching this video scared me. One woman in the video was actually eight feet wide when she got help.
I have seen shows on TV where two year old children weigh nearly 200 pounds all because their parents want to appease the child and stop their fussing.
Does anyone out there have a big problem with their weight? How do you combat it? Is food an addiction? Is over-eating a disease like drug addiction or alcoholism?
http://video.google.de/videopopup?q=http%3A%2F%2Fvp.video.google.com%2Fvideodownload%3Fversion%3D0%26secureurl%3DsAAAAMXof40GdpFvqdqHAFeS1x3x8aLEDJz9k_CyFFM4MEvrDXLxH76i79kMa6-1bwjuVpTC5x-DYGlYLdm2cJYV32UTtwvPa_f43WAUiTB0z62CxU4EHjdiV9XZLtpWEoE49pcmOIZpIZZ8GTxkqs_7A-ydVWGPedJernmB0Aac_nU-AKEfa-W6G4vbmqZjWZ9cRNQGfOcFfHtCxbAEKPi3mdyxkEdzO4PpMfrN0hqeCNtwq2osSP5SMW9YdvrJ2cJK2Q%26sigh%3Dn0ABNIC1SsAPccrBlBjtFN-seg4%26begin%3D127800%26len%3D2956800%26docid%3D-162531092497573171&docid=-162531092497573171&fscid=fsc_951442126&windowtitle=The+Half+Ton+Man+-+Google+Video+-+Vollbildmodus
Now, THAT'S a link! LOL
I'm watching it right now. It's pretty good.
When I worked at State Farm there were two women there that had the gastric bypass surgery. One was morbidly obese and one wasn't quite as big. The morbidly obese girl, 23 years of age if I remember correctly, lost 40 pounds and then gained it all back and more. She couldn't eat much at a sitting but what she ate and how often she ate it caused her to balloon her weight. She admitted that she didn't exercise like the doctors suggested. Such a shame to go through that drastic a surgery and not have a resolution.
The other woman within six months had a model's figure! She wasn't so obese that she needed skin removed. She was so happy with the results.
Canadians are all sleek-like-otter!
I know obesity is a huge problem here in the United States. Is it really not an issue in Canada Chumly? If not, is there a reason it isn't?
I think the problem and cure is psychological. They should spend more time on the psycology of it coupled with the surgery.
Oh, now there getting into that part.
Arella Mae wrote:I know obesity is a huge problem here in the United States. Is it really not an issue in Canada Chumly? If not, is there a reason it isn't?
It depends where you live, Asians on the West Coast seem immune, more people on the prairies and central Canada are fat.
Every time I cross the border into Washington State it seems I become a dwarf compared to the Washingtonians, and every time I go into Vancouver BC it seems I am a giant compared to all the Asians.
I'm 5' 8" 155 - 160 lbs so I'm where I should.
According to Statistics Canada in 2004:
36.1% of Canadians aged 18 or older were overweight
23.1% of Canadians aged 18 or older were obese
Quote:The percentage of Canadians who are overweight or obese has risen dramatically in recent years, mirroring a worldwide phenomenon.1, 2, 3, 4 The health consequences of excess weight are well known. It is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, some cancers and gallbladder disease.5, 6, 7 As well, psychosocial problems, functional limitations and disabilities are associated with excess weight.5, 8
For more than a decade, information about the weight of Canadians has been based on self-reports, that is, survey respondents reported their own height and weight rather than being measured and weighed. However, such data are known to underestimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity.9, 10, 11, 12 The 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey: Nutrition (CCHS), which directly measured respondents' height and weight, makes it possible to draw a more accurate picture (see Data sources and analytical techniques).
Majority overweight or obese
According to the 2004 CCHS, 23.1% of Canadians aged 18 or older, an estimated 5.5 million adults, had a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, indicating that they were obese (Table 1) (see What is BMI?). This is significantly higher than estimates derived from self-reported data collected in 2003, which yield an obesity rate of 15.2% (see Methodology makes a difference). Another 8.6 million, or 36.1%, were overweight.
http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/82-620-MIE/2005001/articles/adults/aobesity.htm
I think it is very scary that obesity is becoming such a widespread concern. I am shocked that the percentage of overweight people is so high.
If the statistics are correct:
64% of US adults are either overweight or obese
59.2% of Canadian adults are either overweight or obese
Essentially then both countries sport similar numbers.
I'm not overweight. But I love food. I eat when i'm not hungry.
I watched that documentary on Patrick Deuel a while back....too bad he's gained some weight back. But there's always hope he'll get back on track.
Besides the obvious medical issues with him, I was disturbed by the co-dependant relationship with his wife.
At his worst, he weighed 1,072 pounds. He was unable to even roll over in bed, let alone get to the refrigerator or supermarket....he couldn't even get to a phone or a computer to order food if you put it 10 feet away from him.
So....who was feeding his all that crap? Who was bringing it to him?
She feels she's showing love by bringing him to deaths door because he asked for (or begged or ranted) for food. And not just food....garbage.
I understand love for your spouse, but theirs is not a healthy relationship.
Also, in the video, after he had gotten under 500 pounds, Patrick said "I avoid foods with a lot of fat and sodium"....as he was snacking on individual size bags on salted nuts and potato chips.
In the scene before that (after his gastic bypass and much weight loss), the wife brought him dinner....Kentucky Fried Chicken.
"Oh", she said, "Here's your protein", as she waved an extra crispy drumstick at him.
My husband loves egg sald. When I make it, I through out 4 out of the 12 yolks, and mix in a pound of tofu....he never knows the difference. (BTW, he's very thin, but has a heart condition).
Wifey could maybe take some lessons from me.
I agree Chai. I noticed that when Patrick went home from the hospital his wife was steadily gaining weight and no one said a word. I was appalled at the fact she was feeding him four eggs, KFC, etc.! She had no idea how many calories were in the eggs!
I guess that it's just like with a drug addict, alcoholic, etc. Morbidly obese people have enablers too.
BTW, cool trick on the egg salad!
Just an aside....if you're thinking of mixing tofu with eggs or other foods, you have to do it right.
Buy only extra firm or firm tofu, wrap the loaf in paper towels and place a heavy object on it for maybe half and hour.
This presses out the excess moisture, giving it more the consistancy of boiled eggs, it will aquire the taste of the dressing and eggs....or if you're going to cook it for or with something else, it doesn't have all that moisture in it spattering all over.
tofu is your friend.
When I was in elementary school in the 1960's-70's, I don't remember having any obese classmates ( a few with a little chub, but not fat). I grew up without a microwave or fast food, my mother considered things like pop tarts and Chef Boyardi (sp?) the work of evil beings. I came home, ate an apple, did my homework and played outside until I was called for a dinner that consisted of a protein, a vegetable and maybe a starch like rice. Weight was not an issue for any of my girlfriends until we decided in High School that we should look like supermodels.
About eight years ago I went to help out at my niece's elementary school and was shocked by how many fat (some obese) kids were in the school. Probably about a 1/4th of the students needed to lose about 20lbs or more. I think the easy access to junk food and video addiction is the reason.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace